A paper tiger might have a bark that's worse than its bite, but that proverb might not be valid once you've seen the Mechanical Paper Robot. The brainchild of artist / genius Kikousya, it's entirely constructed from dead trees, a few rubber bands and some dowel. We suggest you watch the amazing video after the break and, if you're looking to build your own, head down to the source link for the instructions. After all, given the cost of those robotic bulls, scary babies and giant mecha, Skynet's gonna need some wallet-friendly foot-soldiers for the Robopocalypse.

Take a moment to Breathe, because this one's kind of heady. NASA has just published a new video of the Dark Side of the Moon and, contrary to popular belief, it's not really all that dark. (We'd probably describe it as a subdued gray, if we had to, but feel free to go with Any Colour You Like.) Compiled into a 30-second video clip, this footage provides a cursory glimpse of the moon's hind parts (its "B-Side," if you will), panning over the rock from north to south, in all its crater-y glory. It's all part of an initiative from NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL), which presumably spent a lot of Time and Money to build its twin spacecraft, nicknamed Ebb and Flow. On January 19th, the lab sent the pair up to that Great Gig in the Sky, as part of the GRAIL MoonKAM mission -- a "progressive" educational outreach program geared toward middle school students. Ebb was charged with filmic duties, and did a remarkable job of shooting On the Run with its MoonKAM camera, returning high res footage to NASA's engineers, and giving both Us and Them something to think about during the next lunar Eclipse. See the video (along with its eerily sync-able counterpart) after the break, and if you've got any questions about it, please don't hesitate to Speak to Me.

Sure, those gigantic tributes to Italian plumbers look great on your PC screen, but sometimes you want something a little more tangible. That's exactly what Mineways lets you do. Yep, it's another demonstration of why we all need a 3D printer in our life, although this Minecraft-friendly software can also export your models across to 3D printing site, Shapeways, which will do the whole printing slog for you. Sure, it'll cost you, but it's likely to be a mere fraction of your own 3D printer. The Mineways program is based on the open-source mapping tool Minutor and creates both a data and texture file ready to pinged across to the Shapeways site. You can also attempt to reclaim some money from those many hours sunk into Minecraft by selling your creations on the site. Check the source below for tutorials, more examples and the latest version of the model exporter.

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Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:03:00 -050021|20139142http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/24/siemens-da36-e-star-glider-takes-serial-hybrid-to-new-heights/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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It's not exactly Wonder Woman-ready, but this little glider is already a star. A collaboration between Siemens, Diamond Aircraft, and EADS, the DA36 E-Star, being billed as the "world's first serial hybrid electric airplane," has taken to the friendly skies and is now on display at the Paris Air Show. The two-seater, which boasts a serial (or series) hybrid electric drive, similar to that found in the Chevy Volt, is currently a two-seat affair, but is intended to pave the way for passenger planes, and could eventually cut emissions by 25 percent. Along with a decrease in fuel consumption and subsequent emissions, the plane is also nice and quiet. So what's next? Scientists are working on a new motor that could make the drive five times lighter. Hey Siemens, give us a call when it gets inflight-WiFi. Full PR after the break.

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Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:52:00 -040021|19975083http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/25/nasa-abandons-mars-rover-spirit-chooses-to-remember-the-good-ti/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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More than a year after it first lost contact with its Mars rover Spirit, NASA has finally decided to throw in the towel. Yesterday, the agency confirmed that it will end all planned communications with the robot on May 25th, effectively ending the craft's seven-year mission. NASA was hoping that the approaching Martian spring would allow the Spirit to recharge its solar panels and re-establish radio contact, but it now appears that the craft sustained irreparable damage last winter, when it was forced to endure brutally cold temperatures. NASA executive David Lavery, however, says the rover team will remember the Spirit more for its achievements than its slowdemise:

"I think we'll all sit around and have a sip of Guinness and reminisce about when Spirit was a wee small little rover and look back at the accomplishments and successes rover had over its entire lifetime."

So the Spirit's spirit will live on, but what about NASA's mission to Mars? Well, the Opportunity is still in good health and, later this year, will be joined by the next-generation, nuclear-powered rover Curiosity, which will investigate whether or not Mars ever supported life forms. Meanwhile, NASA's network of orbiting spacecraft will continue to passively listen for signals from the Spirit, just in case it miraculously comes back to life. Full PR after the break.

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Wed, 25 May 2011 07:47:00 -040021|19949476http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/metropcs-launches-lte-network-in-las-vegas-samsung-craft-along/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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MetroPCS was quite serious when it said it wanted to have commercial LTE up and running in 2010 -- and indeed, it has made good on its word today with an official launch in Vegas. Of course, you need hardware to go along with a new network, and that's not much of a surprise either: the long-discussed Samsung Craft becomes not just MetroPCS' first 4G handset, but the first LTE phone to launch commercially anywhere in the world. It's not a smartphone, but it's got a 3.3-inch AMOLED display, 3.2 megapixel camera, and a full QWERTY slide. Interestingly, MetroPCS is not offering tethering (or any modems) at this time, which means the only way you're going to be able to enjoy those blazing speeds is on the handset itself. The carrier is offering basic unlimited service for $55 for a month, while another $5 will net you unlimited on-demand video streaming from 14 networks. The Craft, meanwhile, runs $299 contract-free -- and since it's dual-mode, it'll work just fine on MetroPCS' CDMA network once you leave the blackjack tables. Follow the break for Samsung's press release.

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Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:51:00 -040021|19642453http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/27/samsung-metropcs-launching-lte-service-next-month/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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What now, Verizon? We kid, we kid -- regional player MetroPCS' bid to become the first American carrier to launch a commercial LTE network won't likely have much bearing on the competitive landscape, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. We'd already known on the record that the company was on track for a launch before the end of 2010, but Samsung -- which is producing MetroPCS' inaugural 4G handset, the Craft -- is now saying on no uncertain terms that they're ready to flip the switch in the service's first two commercial markets, Dallas and Las Vegas, next month. Interestingly, MetroPCS won't confirm Samsung's statement, so we suspect Sammy just blew the lid off this thing before MetroPCS was ready. Whoops! Service pricing -- and device availability beyond the Craft -- both remain to be seen.

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Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:52:00 -040021|19610822http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/23/samsung-craft-lte-phone-spied-enroute-to-metropcs/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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These shots actually surfaced a few days ago buried in the depths of HowardForums, but given what we know of Samsung's R900Craft thus far -- particularly the fact that it'll be a non-smartphone -- we have no reason to doubt that we're looking at a prototype of it here. What makes the Craft most notable is that it's slated to be MetroPCS' first LTE-capable handset (and one of the first LTE handsets anywhere in the world) for its shiny new 4G network, and it looks like we can expect full sliding QWERTY along with the typical TouchWiz UI elements. We'd like to hate on this thing for not running Android or Windows Phone 7, but hey -- it's almost certainly going to be the first LTE phone to hit these shores, so we're willing to cut it just an ounce of slack this once. The carrier's first LTE markets are lighting up later this year, so we expect to see this with a whole lot less Blurrycam before too long.

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Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:11:00 -040021|19604481http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/06/samsung-craft-to-be-metropcs-first-lte-handset-dallas-ft-wort/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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When we think "craft," we think of airplanes, boats, and perhaps the occasional needlepoint project -- but all kidding aside, we've definitely heard worst names than "Craft" for a major phone launch, so we've got nothing to complain about here. Regional carrier MetroPCS has announced on its latest earnings call that its first LTE phone -- the FCC-approved R900 from Samsung -- will come to market as the Craft at a price in the same range as its current smartphone lineup which includes the Code for $250 and the BlackBerry Curve 8530 for $280. These guys are still on target to launch in Vegas this year, but it now looks like they'll be adding Dallas-Ft. Worth into the mix as it moves to complete its 4G build-out early next year. It's a seriously aggressive timeline for a carrier traditionally known for cheap voice and text, not blazing data -- but hey, who are we to complain?

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Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:03:00 -040021|19584032http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/05/lartisan-electronique-ushers-in-the-era-of-the-virtual-pottery/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Want to reenact Ghost but don't care for all the messy bits? Let lasers do the work for you. L'Artisan Electronique uses a laser scanner to detect your hand-sculpting gestures, transfers their gently urging instructions over to a computerized 3D model, and -- should your production exhibit sufficient creativity or je ne sais quoi -- prints it out using a 3D ceramic printer. This is part of a Design by Performance exhibition taking place over in Belgium and is seriously one of the cooler things you're going to come across today -- or any other day, for that matter. See it on video after the break.

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Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:44:00 -040021|19504807http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/worlds-cutest-pint-sized-living-room-sets-up-shop-in-a-pc-case/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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If we were miniature people forced to scrape by an existence of hiding from The Bigs and wearing adorable hats made out of thimbles, we'd be totally eyeing this little abode for our winter digs. Warming our tiny, oh-so-precious hands at the warmth of the CPU, cradling our hot chocolate mugs that are really hollowed out marshmallows and telling stories of when little Timmy Tinykins almost got sucked out the power supply exhaust fan! Oh, what magical times we would have.

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Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:43:00 -040021|19192925http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/11/paperduino-is-like-the-cardboard-fort-version-of-every-hackers/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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After the boundless Arduino-based inventions we've witnessed over the years, it was really about time Arduino did a little something for itself. Guilherme printed up his own paper Arduino designs, which do away with the regular printed circuit board and substitute a colorful combination of paper, cardboard and nerdy needlepoint. It's almost precious enough to get us to pick up a soldering iron once more, despite the horrible disfigurement caused by our last run-in with melting metal.

We've had a lot of fun with Terrafugia over the last year or so, but we weren't exactly holding our breath in anticipation of the Transition's maiden flight. That said, we're definitely psyched to hear that the "roadable aircraft" went airborne in a super-secret test flight that took place in the early hours of March 5th at Plattsburgh International Airport. The vehicle left the ground for a good thirty-seven seconds, traveling some 3,000 feet. At a press conference today, the company's CEO Carl Dietrich remarked that "with this achievement, Terrafugia has set the stage for personal aviation." Which, considering how folks light up I-95 on an average workday, might at first blush seem somewhat unsettling -- but to each his own, right? According to the company, more than forty people have put down the $10,000 deposit for the new aircraft, which -- if all goes according to plan -- will be hitting the road sometime in 2011. Videos after the break.

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Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:31:00 -040021|1492023http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/10/terrafugia-hopes-to-showcase-drivable-airplane-this-summer/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Make no mistake, Terrafugia's outlandish airplane / motorcar hybrid has been on the drawing board for years, but it looks like the rubber is about to hit the proverbial road (or take to the skies, whichever) this July. A team of ten is working feverishly to ready the Transition for its debut at this year's AirVenture, where it hopes to catch more than a few eyes with its zany "roadable aircraft." As you can likely guess, this thing is meant to both fly and drive, and yes, that means it'll have to pass safety regulations from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If all goes well, the startup expects to deliver its first vehicle to a customer in 2009, while mass production isn't scheduled to happen until 2012. We're no experts in the field, but it seems like it'll take a Christmas miracle for either of those feats to actually be accomplished.

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Sat, 10 May 2008 09:35:00 -040021|1191063http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/09/geostationary-banana-blimp-to-hover-over-texas/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/09/geostationary-banana-blimp-to-hover-over-texas/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/09/geostationary-banana-blimp-to-hover-over-texas/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsWe've always heard that everything's larger in Texas, and since it's home to one of the largest PC / accessory vendors on the planet, will soon have the world's largest domed stadium, and calls the "Godzillatron" its own, we're starting to believe it. Cesar Saez feels the larger than life love too, as the artist is crafting a "helium-inflated 300-meter banana" to hover above the Lonestar state for a month, and while we'd just love (ahem) for it to pack a bevy of voyeuristic camera gear, this fruit is strictly for gazing at. The Geostationary Banana Over Texas project seeks to lift the dirigible above Texas for no other reason than to express his apparent appreciation for the uniquities in life, as Mr. Saez himself simply stated that "Texas is as symbolic as the banana," leaving us all to wonder what exactly that means. Nevertheless, the project is slated to cost around $1 million when it's all said and done, and while we're not precisely sure when the giant yellow balloon will lift off, we doubt it'll be hard to miss.

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Fri, 09 Feb 2007 05:51:00 -050021|751028http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/26/sculptor-crafting-3d-replicas-of-your-mii/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/26/sculptor-crafting-3d-replicas-of-your-mii/http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/26/sculptor-crafting-3d-replicas-of-your-mii/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsWe know, you've been catching up on a world of news this morning thanks to the Wii News Channel going live, but if you're one of those folks who snapped up your Mii on a Tee just as soon as you found the funds, this is for you. Sculptor and illustrator Paul Thiel crafted a 3D figure of a friend's Mii as a Christmas gift, but soon realized that geeks like us would hit up the Ramen diet for a few days in order to have one of our own, so now he's hard at work constructing a proper way to take and process orders. Even though no prices have been set just yet, you can take one look at this masterpiece and see how priceless your very own could be, so be sure to hit the read link for the full skinny of how to get your pre-order in and secure yet another piece of obscure, albeit nifty, video game art.